The Academy of Lifelong Learning at Shell Point presents three sessions of “Looking at Life at Sea in the Age of Sail,” with award-winning author Robert N. Macomber, who offers a light-hearted look at how language, music, and superstitions influenced life at sea and ashore.
The informal discussions will be humorous and poignant, as you gain a greater understanding of how those men and women survived their perilous existence upon the oceans of the world. The sessions are scheduled on Nov. 6, 7, and 10 from 10 to 11:30 a.m. in the Grand Cypress Room in The Woodlands.
Thursday, Nov. 6: Sailor Talk. Do you speak sailor talk, even though you grew up in Kansas? Probably! Join our hilarious look at the language of the sea during the age of sail. You’ll be amazed at how many of us use it in conversations today, even far from salt water. You’ll learn about how sailors’ humor can be seen in their very descriptive language and how it was influenced by terrible living conditions and iron discipline.
Friday, Nov. 7: Music of the Sea. A wonderful discussion of the music of the sea—the songs sailors knew by heart. You’ll hear selections, learn what they were used for, who sang them (and who didn’t), and what they meant to the sailors who composed and sang them.
Monday, Nov. 10: Salty Superstitions. Sailors had many superstitions that governed their lives, their ships, and sometimes even history. Learn about what they did and what they would never do, even to the point of mutiny. See how some of these customs have found their way ashore and how some are still observed even today in modern navies.
Each session is $10. Space is limited, and registration is required by calling (239) 489-8472.
The Academy of Lifelong Learning at Shell Point is an educational initiative for the residents of the retirement community. The Academy provides approximately 80 classes each semester that encompass a well-rounded curriculum of educational opportunities for senior adults. The Academy of Lifelong Learning at Shell Point was named as one of 2008’s most innovative active aging programs by the International Council on Active Aging (ICAA), an association that supports professionals who develop wellness/fitness facilities and services for age 50-plus adults.
Shell Point Retirement Community is a not-for-profit continuing care retirement community located in Fort Myers just off Summerlin Road and McGregor Boulevard, two miles before the Sanibel causeway. A nationally recognized leader in the retirement industry, the community offers retirement living in a resort-style environment with an 18-hole championship golf course that is open to the public, deep water boating access, and recreational and fitness facilities. To learn more about Shell Point, visit www.shellpoint.org or call 1-800-780-1131.
